young family tired of the MN winters (Phoenix, Glendale: to rent, low crime)

[nlesthought]

Moderator cut: snip Trust me I searched the boards for answers most of them were dated, or didn't tell me what I didn't know already.

I'm moving to the Phoenix Area before this winter, Oct @ the latest - (MN Winters ) and I'm trying to decide where to live. My fiancee, 3 young kids (3 & 18months) and I are thinking East Valley (schools, low crime) but then again West Valley (cost). We expect to be in one location for a long time so we can buy soon. Are there RTO/lease purchase options in AZ and if so where would I find those listings? I fully expect to rent 1st, I just don't want to overspend. Job wise she can transfer to any of several different cities so I don't believe that will dictate where we live. And I work from home mostly. If I had to put in order importance I'd say: schools, then cost.

Some negatives I found after researching:
East Valley
- on the higher side of our budget
- places that are affordable are further out
- houses seem so close together

West Valley
- not a ton of good schools to choose from (greatschools.com)
- higher crime rates (can't remember the source)
- seems desolate

We are heading there in a week to check out the area and weather. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Nanny Goat]

West Valley might "technically" be higher crime rate, but it's not like you are aware of it day to day in your life. Crime everywhere out here in "shadier" neighborhoods like any metro. Crime is more localized to those places, in general.
West Valley is not desolate--it's just less populated, but there's plenty of people everywhere in the metro! Some like the vibe of West Valley. Some like vibe of East Valley. Depend on you.
Good luck in your search.

[observer53]

And, in some areas, the neighborhood vibe in a west Valley suburb would be pretty much indistinguishable from many areas in the east Valley. Coming out here will help you a lot in sorting out what you are looking for. Enjoy your visit!

[mn55110]

A large factor in your decision on where to live should be where you will be working. Commuting in the Valley during rush hour is far more difficult than you are used to in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, so you will not want to create a horrendous commute for yourself.

Another thing to consider is the type of work or profession both you and your fiancee are in. In Phoenix, The East Valley is the more white collar professional side of the metro area whereas the west valley is the more blue collar warehouse industrial side of the metro.

This is a very similar comparrison to Minneapolis in that the southern suburbs like: Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie,St. Louis Park are your white collar office clientel whereas the northern suburbs such as: Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Coon Rapids, Blaine are your blue collar, factory, industrial parts of the Twin Cities.

Check out the Arizona Department of Education website for school test scores for each district. Keep in mind that in many area's the elementary school districts are totally separate from the high school districts unlike Minnesota where all schools elementary through high school are in the same district. That in Arizona is called a Unified School District, which there are a few of here in the Valley.

One other thing you may want to consider are hoobies you like to partake in during free time. If you like the boutiques and shops of Scottsdale you may not want to live on the outskirts such as Apache Junction or Buckeye. On the other hand if being close to recreation opportunities along the Apache Trail, the Salt River or the High Country, your housing choises will probably be different.

I would recommend you rent first for one year first ,so you can determine your prefferenced prior to making a commitment. If you graduated from a college in Minnesota, get in touch with your alumni association; your school most likely has many, many alumni members in Phoenix and throughout Arizona.

Feel free to let us know what you find on your visit. It is good to visit now so you can experience the heat just like I recommend anyone considering a Twin Cities move or anywhere in Minnesota to visit in January or February and determine whether they can handle the cold.

Best of luck!

[hart4july]

LOL mn55110, are "hoobies" what you do during a Haboob to stay inside?

I second the above advice, we are very glad we rented as the valley is so very large its hard to tell what the areas are like even with several visits. Your work commute is a big factor, as well as school districts and housing prices.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by mn55110

A large factor in your decision on where to live should be where you will be working. Commuting in the Valley during rush hour is far more difficult than you are used to in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, so you will not want to create a horrendous commute for yourself.

Another thing to consider is the type of work or profession both you and your fiancee are in. In Phoenix, The East Valley is the more white collar professional side of the metro area whereas the west valley is the more blue collar warehouse industrial side of the metro.

This is a very similar comparrison to Minneapolis in that the southern suburbs like: Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie,St. Louis Park are your white collar office clientel whereas the northern suburbs such as: Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Coon Rapids, Blaine are your blue collar, factory, industrial parts of the Twin Cities.

Check out the Arizona Department of Education website for school test scores for each district. Keep in mind that in many area's the elementary school districts are totally separate from the high school districts unlike Minnesota where all schools elementary through high school are in the same district. That in Arizona is called a Unified School District, which there are a few of here in the Valley.

One other thing you may want to consider are hoobies you like to partake in during free time. If you like the boutiques and shops of Scottsdale you may not want to live on the outskirts such as Apache Junction or Buckeye. On the other hand if being close to recreation opportunities along the Apache Trail, the Salt River or the High Country, your housing choises will probably be different.

I would recommend you rent first for one year first ,so you can determine your prefferenced prior to making a commitment. If you graduated from a college in Minnesota, get in touch with your alumni association; your school most likely has many, many alumni members in Phoenix and throughout Arizona.

Feel free to let us know what you find on your visit. It is good to visit now so you can experience the heat just like I recommend anyone considering a Twin Cities move or anywhere in Minnesota to visit in January or February and determine whether they can handle the cold.u Best of luck!

Utter nonsense and tired old stereotypes about east versus west. Maybe west Phoenix is blue collar but Goodyear, Litchfield Park most of Surprise, Verrado in Buckeye, huge swaths of Glendale and Peoria are every bit as upscale and white collar as anything in the east valley save the northernmost reaches of Scottsdale and there are even pockets in the west on par with that as well.

[dusky_beauty]

I love the elderly gal ahead of me in line at the meat counter at the Buckeye Frys. She was having a perfectly nice conversation with me about moving from scottsdale and getting away from all the rude people, then in the next breath she picks a fight with a clerk over the lunchmeat she chose from the case not being "roast beef" enough for her. Classic.

If I have to live in Arizona, I wouldn't live anywhere other than Buckeye. I love how laid back and blue collar working class much of it is.

[cacto]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Utter nonsense and tired old stereotypes about east versus west. Maybe west Phoenix is blue collar but Goodyear, Litchfield Park most of Surprise, Verrado in Buckeye, huge swaths of Glendale and Peoria are every bit as upscale and white collar as anything in the east valley save the northernmost reaches of Scottsdale and there are even pockets in the west on par with that as well.

Maryvale, Laveen, SW Phoenix. Worst neighborhoods in Arizona, all on West side.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by cacto

Maryvale, Laveen, SW Phoenix. Worst neighborhoods in Arizona, all on West side.

The west side of the City of PHOENIX, not the metro area.

My point was the sweeping generalization that everything west of central? was "blue collar" was absurd and my point is correct. There are many upscale communities on the west side that are on par with those on the east side. Telling the OP that the west side is all blue collar and implying that the professionals all live on the other side was wrong.

[PoppySead]

I'm sure you will love it despite which side of town you pick. A lot better than MN winters! It's nice you have the opportunity to move anywhere in this economy. You will find a great deal here on home prices. That alone will make life easier.
Both sides have some nice schools and shopping. You won't notice much of a difference in the suburbs. The big picture for you is finding employment and a school you're happy with. After that finding a home will be a piece of cake.
How exciting for you, I wish you lots of luck. You are smart to visit first. Try and get a place with a pool, your kids will really enjoy swimming all summer long. You will love AZ.